Registered with the Charity Commissioners (Reg. No 202804)
Chairman Clerk / Treasurer
Mr M Collingham Mr J C Baker
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GREAT TORRINGTON COMMON
CONSERVATORS OF THE ACTIVITIES DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR
ENDING 31st MARCH 2010
The condition of The Common continues to improve. The dedicated work of Conservator Roger Dymond, employee Al Mitchell together with our many volunteers, has enabled us to provide a high level of maintenance and improvements. Our sound financial position has allowed investment in extra machinery and materials to support this work.
The major projects over the year include:
Play Area updated to conform to modern safety standards, and new equipment has been installed.
Wildlife pond constructed in Reed’s Field, fed from a spring on Furzebeam Hill.
Trees cut back on Norwood Road to prevent interference with telephone line.
Continued work to remove sycamores and prevent their domination of The Common.
Work on Pope’s Lane to divert the spring.
Provision of several new dog litter bins (and their regular emptying).
Control of docks, knotweed and balsam on various areas.
New steps from Rolle Road to river and steps from Barmaids renewed.
Wooden walkways constructed over some of the wetter areas of the paths.
Area above Monument cleared and mown.
Our purchase of a large all terrain mower is enabling us to cut the pathways and larger maintained areas when needed, with a reduction in the costs of employing contractors.
The leakage of sewage onto The Common has become more frequent. Together, with the support of Great Torrington Town Council, we made a formal complaint to OFWAT.
This resulted in a scheme to increase the capacity of the sewer from the town, but only as far as its junction with Rolle Road. Excess sewage is then to be deposited into Lady Wash stream and then into the river. The Environment Agency will make the final decision on whether this can proceed and we have spent much time in expressing our opposition. We have also opposed several applications which affect our land, mainly on the grounds of access and the increasing load on the already inadequate sewerage system.
Monarch Homes, who own the Taddiport Dairy Site, have put forward new proposals for its development which we cannot accept due to them including vehicle use of Rolle Road. At the old abattoir, development plans for new industrial units now include provision for a sewage treatment system with discharge onto The Common.
We have made clear our conditions before we would give permission for this. The major works on the golf course are proceeding slowly and we have assurances that restoration will be completed to our satisfaction. Problems of vehicle access to several properties bounding our land are still not resolved, but we have made progress regarding the police responsibilities regarding any enforcement procedures that may be necessary.
A new map of the common has been produced and 1000 copies printed. Our proposed new bye-laws have been approved by defra. With community support we have been successful in our application to register ownership of the land along the river from Taddiport Bridge to the weir. We have now agreed our boundaries with The Land Registry and expect finalisation of our registration soon. The rural payment agency maps, which determine our payments from Defra, are still not correct and have again been returned. A new initiative to plant the few species of indigenous trees that are not already present on the common has begun. On completion we hope to produce a tree trail which will include all species which were thought to be present before the Roman invasion.
Mrs Bulley has retired from many successful years supervising our car boot sale and Brian Symons has taken her place. Except for the sporting events the participation of our Common’s Week events was again disappointing, but this was no doubt mainly due to the bad weather at the time. Our ‘Friends of The Common’ group continues to grow. Thanks go to Stephanie Easton and her band of volunteers.
With good income from our franchises, the Single Payment Scheme and continued support from The Town Land Charities our income has exceeded expenditure.
Finally I must thank The Conservators, employees and volunteers for their efforts over the year which have allowed me to write this optimistic report, and also Chris Styles for his free audit of our accounts.
The Charity Commission require annual returns from this Registered Charity, and our finances and ancillary matters are set out within their guidelines.
Michael Collingham for the Board of Great Torrington Conservators.
May 2010.
Author : M Collingham
Common News.
Many of you will have experienced the sewage that is frequently deposited on Rolle Road from the pipe that takes much of the town’s sewage to the treatment works. The Conservators have been complaining about this pollution for many years, but have been unable to get any action from South West Water. During the past few months we have had good support from Torrington Town Council, and together we have recently reported the situation to OFWAT (our District and County Councillors also signed the complaint). We are waiting for the results of this investigation.
The surcharges from the sewer are occurring much more frequently nowadays (four times in November alone). No doubt increases are due to the many new housing developments being approved to use this inadequate infrastructure.
However, at last a solution has been found. South West Water, with the approval of The Environment Agency, are to increase the size of the pipe that takes sewage from the town down along Lady Wash stream to Rolle Road. How can this prevent sewage discharge from the remaining inadequate sewage pipe? Simple. Construct another pipe to put the excess flow directly into the river.
* link to video of sewage discharge below
Author : M. Collingham
Common News
We spend about £3000 a year employing ‘contractors with tractors’ to cut the borders of our 20 miles of footpaths and other areas for both amenity reasons and to create varying habitats. Often criticised for cutting too much or too little, we do try to encourage the diversity of plant life balanced against freedom of access. We have recently purchased a large hand controlled mower with capacity to cut through light scrub and bracken. This will allow us to do much of the maintenance work ourselves, reducing our contractor’s bill. Also it will enable us to do the work at the right time, which is critical in our efforts to support the wonderful ecology of our common.
Have you heard about The National Dormouse Survey? Although not perhaps a truly indigenous mammal, the dormouse is a welcome and attractive member of the British countryside. Being small, shy and nocturnal it is rarely seen, but is a protected animal which must not be harmed. The best way to see if it present in an area is to look at the damaged hazel nuts lying on the ground. The tooth marks around the holed area can be used to determine which animal has been trying to access the kernel inside.(squirrels just crack them open).If you go to the website ptes.org/greatnuthunt you can get full details of how to take part in this survey. It is very children friendly. Are their any on The Common? Please let us know.
Author : M. Collingham
Common News.
On The Common we have over 50 different species of trees. Some are fairly recent introductions to this country and many of these find that the conditions here, together with lack of natural pests and diseases, allow them to flourish. A good example of this is the Sycamore, which if not controlled would eventually dominate the whole common
There is evidence that many trees were present in Britain before the last ice age began to retreat about 10,000 years ago. These include oak, birch and hazel. If we add these survivors to those which we know were here soon after the land bridge to Europe disappeared and the activities of man became dominant, we have a list of trees (about 25 species) which we can truly call indigenous-ie. British Trees. With the addition of those recorded before the Roman invasion 2,000 years ago, the number of tree species rises to about 40.
Our ongoing project is to plant those which are at present missing from the common (less than 10 species) so that we have a complete set. Later we will provide labelling and a leaflet to guide visitors through a short walk where all these trees may be seen.
We are quite excited by this scheme which perhaps will make The Common a unique area to visit.
Author : M Collingham
Common News
If you walk down to Ladies Island by our newly sown extension to the wildflower meadow, you can now continue onto a newly cleared path which eventually runs along the river bank below the old tow path. Continue past the Victorian bathing area where two new seats provide a wonderful peaceful spot to river-gaze, and then up the steps to rejoin Rolle Road by the London plane tree. In our Common’s record it is recorded that 80 trees were planted on Castle Hill (at a cost of £60) in 1898. This is probably one of these, making it about 110 years old.
When I walked this path in April there was a fine display of wood anemones, dog’s mercury and the Michelin star chefs favourite – ransoms or wild garlic. Up the hill, the path edges were thick with violets which augers well for the endangered pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly. Its caterpillars feed on the violet and it is one of the species for which we try to provide a suitable habitat through our conservation work.
Author : M Collingham
Common News.
On one of our walks during Commons Week last year we looked at some of our trees from a new direction. This did not involve running circles around them, but by getting in the services of Nick Duncan who has a great love of the form and aesthetic beauty of trees. Nick, from Taddiport, has a collection of bonsai trees and we have asked him to apply this appreciation of their shapes and spirituality to some of our larger specimens on The Common. We do not intend to alter or prune the selected trees, but simply to remove the scrub areas that are hiding their naturally formed beauty.
Keep a look out for the work, which will begin in January with a magnificent old willow situated at the edge of the wood on the path leading down to the metal bridge below the cemetery. Other trees to follow include alder and oak beside Common Lake path to the west of the bridge.
We will be constructing simple benches in each area and if this initial work proves to be of interest will extend it to other parts of The Common to produce a ‘Tree Trail’, perhaps with a guiding leaflet.
Author : M Collingham
Common News.
The extensive work taking place on the golf course is designed to realign one of the holes. This is mainly for safety reasons, taking the playing area away from Roman Road and other footpaths. The loss of a small wild area of the common will be replaced by the return of a similar area which is presently part of the course.
The Conservators are pleased to support this initiative, having been central to the planning stages. Nigel Stark is overseeing the work in progress. Torrington Golf Course is regarded as one of the best 9 hole courses in the area and is sympathetically maintained. The members have recently won two North Devon competitions, together with the Daily Mail National Foursome event.
Does anyone know where the pied-wagtails have gone? For many years they have roosted in large numbers in the Plane tree outside Lloyds’ bank, but they are absent this year. I don’t think that the recent placement of re-cycle bins in the area has frightened them away, but these certainly have a detrimental effect on the visual aspect of The Square.
Michael Collingham.
Author : M Collingham
Common News
The Woodland Trust is an international organisation with the object of caring for and stimulating interest in trees. They are at present conducting a survey of Ancient Trees to add to the ancient tree map of Britain.
Our trees on The Common may not be old enough to qualify for inclusion, most of them no older than the common itself (born 1889), but it would be interesting to map our own oldest specimens. An easy way to estimate this is to measure their girth at shoulder height and compare this to the size of trees of known age. This assumes that they grow at the same rate wherever they are and is of course just an approximation. The species of tree also is important and for some of ours the following sizes equate to ancient trees.
Hawthorne, birch 150cm. 1 hug*
Cherry, hazel 230cm. 1.5 hugs
Ash, beech, willow, pine 300cm. 2 hugs
Oak, sycamore, lime, poplar 450cm. 3 hugs
(* 1 hug = distance from fingertip to fingertip)
There is a magnificent ancient oak by the church in the centre of Newton St. Petrock ( 6 hugs?, see pictures) and other large oaks can be found in Moreton Park, Bideford.
If you go out searching for our biggest specimens, please email your findings to us, together with the size of your hug.